Crucial. And he was so very fast he was able to turn, at least slightly, almost every time. This is to be admired of course, but it does impact the argument in terms of pure chin.
How hard a punch guys can take depends a lot on what kind of shape they're in. When Jones came way down in weight and wasn't in great shape he got caught and hurt easily. This "he was always one punch away from being KOd" is bull****.
I believe Jones' chin was not suspect in his prime. I believe coming down from heavyweight ruined the damage absorbtion of his legs.
I think that in his prime Roys chin was average. Nothing great but he did take some decent shots in his prime and he took a few solid punchs nothing spectacular but solid shots from Ruiz who is a heavyweight. The shot that he got hit with from Tarver would have KO'd alot of people and Johnson hit him alot before he was KO'd. Average chin at his best, but with the reflex's to make up for it. :good
I question whether you could have as much success as Roy having a bad chin. He certainly did get hit in his prime, but I believe he just got older and slower, then got tagged dead hard by Tarver with a punch he didn't see coming. Then he wasn't mentally or physically ready again when he took on Johnson. Now he is seemingly very worried about being hit at all.
Your post is inherently contradictory. So based on 1, you feel Tarver proved Roy has a weak chin, then in 2 you go on to say the punch would knock out basically anyone. So I ask: How does a punch that would knock out basically anyone prove that the person it DOES knock out, has a weak chin? Sigh....
Then how come Jones never went down until his rematch with Tarver? Maybe, maybe not. I think there's some truth to both. The fact remains, RJJ did avoid the biggest punchers in every weight class he ever fought in. Coincidence? That's a matter for debate.
RJJ had a solid chin prior to Tarver. Tarver just weakened it. And him fighting Johnson 5 months later and getting KOed again weakened iteven more. RJJ has been hit clean plenty of times prior to Tarver. He just brushed them off. The Valle knockdown was nothing but a flash. It's not as if RJJ was going through his whole career never getting hit. Tarver weakened his chin. He didn't expose it. Heck, watch the Hopkins fight. Hopkins get in some good shots. Even Ruiz got in some shots. He was actually hit flush with a right and had Jones stunned for a split second but that's it.
People are not lookin at the whole facts! They guy lost 30 lbs of muscle in 6 weeks,the collateral debilitation of this strain not to mention at 35, was too much. Has anyfighter taken such a risk
Yep, Hopkins got in some very nice shots, actually. Round 8, I believe, he lands a succession of right hands.
In the post-fight interview of Jones -Tarver 2 he admitted being knocked out in the amateurs.That's why he knew he was chinny and avoided McClellan,Benn, etc....
This would have greater validity if got KOed right after the Ruiz fight, but he didn't. He won the first fight and got KOed later in the second fight. Roy's chin is average.
It isn't the most durable, and that wasn't proven until his reflexes decreased in speed. His lighting reflexes always came in handy, I guess. :yep